Dr Onon is currently joint chief medical officer and responsible officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). She is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and combines her medical leadership responsibilities with frontline clinical work at Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester.

She has spent nearly 35 years working in the NHS hospitals sector and has played a key role in overseeing quality and patient safety improvement initiatives, as well as the professional regulation of MFT's 2,800 medical and dental staff.

Dr Onon is the third of four chief inspectors who will lead on regulation and improvement across mental health, hospitals, primary and community care, and adult social care and integrated care – marking a realignment of the organisation around sector expertise.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of CQC, said: ‘Toli brings a wealth of professional and clinical leadership experience and a passion for driving tangible improvements that help deliver effective, safe and high-quality patient care.

‘There's a lot of important work ahead for CQC and as chief inspector of hospitals, Toli will be pivotal in helping re-focus and shape our regulation of the hospital sector as we continue our journey to becoming the strong effective regulator people need and deserve.

Dr Onon said: ‘I know from personal experience what a challenging time this is for those leading and delivering hospital care, and I want to use that experience to help inform CQC's regulation of these services.

‘High-quality regulation that drives the continuous improvement of high-quality care is more important now than ever, if we are to give the public assurance and confidence about the services they rely upon.'

Dr Onon is expected to join CQC later in the year.